"Bryce Harper may have had more fun, but I'm taking Mike Trout" - Ex-Mets GM gives verdict on Angels, Phillies superstars' careers

Both Bryce Harper and Mike Trout are in the final stages of their career. Both will be voted into the Hall of Fame when all is said and done, but neither has won the World Series so far.

Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Harper appeared in one in 2022, while the LA Angels' Trout has only played three career postseason games without making it to the World Series. Nevertheless, both have garnered immense praise for their achievements, which include numerous All-Star selections, MVPs and other individual records.

During Wednesday's edition of MLB Network Radio, former New York Mets general manager Steve Phillips was asked to pick between Harper and Trout's careers.

"So, Bryce Harper's career has been more fun, but I would take Mike Trout's career," Phillips said.

"I mean, listen, he's an 84 WAR player and one of the greatest players in the history of the game. I understand that, right now, he hasn't had the playoff experience or the joy of participating in that.

"But when it's all said and done, and we look back at these guys as Hall of Famers, Mike Trout will go down as one of the greatest players to ever play the game in terms of legacy. Harper may have had more fun, but I'm taking Mike Trout's career."

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Steve Phillips' co-analyst picks "fun" in Bryce Harper vs Mike Trout debate

Carrying the conversation forward, co-analyst Ryan Dempster picked Bryce Harper's career over Mike Trout's.

"I'm going to go with fun. I'm going to go with the expectations," Dempster said.

The analyst added that while Trout was always thought to do well in the majors, for Harper, it was different.

"For Bryce Harper, he's been on the cover of Sports Illustrated since he was 15 years old," Dempster added.

"He had to drop out of high school and get a GED so he could go to college, just so pitchers would throw to him. I mean, this guy has continually lived up to those expectations.

"At the end of the day, as players, yes, we play for accolades. We play for our teammates. But you want a chance to play in October, and Bryce Harper — not only has he played in October, but he's also shown up on the biggest stages in the biggest ways."

Matching up their careers head-on, Mike Trout has an edge with 11 All-Star selections as compared to Harper's eight and three MVPs to two. Both have won Rookie of the Year honors.

The only blemish in Trout's career is that he doesn't have enough postseason games, while Harper won an NLCS MVP in 2022.

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Who do you think has the edge over the other? Kindly share your thoughts on the Harper vs Trout debate: